For the first time ever, public health officials, community leaders, and others working to improve health can access census tract level data to measure and compare differences in life expectancy in nearly every neighborhood across the country. A new national report on life expectancy at the census tract level reveals that how long you live can vary widely depending on the Oregon neighborhood you call home.
The data shows estimated life expectancy at birth for the period 2010-2015. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality rates at the time of birth remain the same. Census tracts include an average of 4,000 people who typically have similar characteristics, such as social and economic status.
The national report is part of the United States Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project (USALEEP). USALEEP is a joint effort of the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report is based on state death records and population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
County-level and statewide estimates of life expectancy at birth are published every year by the Oregon Center for Health Statistics. Please see Table 6-57 of the most recent Oregon Vital Statistics Annual Report Volume 2.